The present invention pertains to gas separation, and more particularly to gas separation devices using a granular solid sorbent for a vaporous or gaseous constituent and especially to devices for removing granulates solid sorbent from a gas separation device.
In gas separation devices, particularly those used in the nuclear field to remove radioactive constituents from a gas stream, it is necessary to, from time to time, remove the radioactive granular solid sorbent material from the gas separation device prior to recharging the gas separation device with fresh uncontaminated granular solid sorbent material. It is not only important that all of the radioactive granular solid material be removed, but also that it be removed without contaminating the ambient atmosphere, or equipment and personnel which may be nearby. An additional consideration is that the contaminated radioactive granular solid sorbent material be rapidly removed in order to reduce expensive down time of the gas separator device.
Various discharge apparatus for removing a granular solid sorbent material from a filter housing are known. Exemplary of these various discharge apparatus are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,796,237 issued to F. Nettel on June 18, 1957; 2,911,036 issued to M. E. Lazar et al on Nov. 3, 1959; 3,212,240 issued to C. M. Streete on Oct. 19, 1965; 3,716,969 issued to Isamu Maeda on Feb. 20, 1973; 3,815,335 issued to H. L. Barneby on June 11, 1974; 3,925,046 issued to T. N. Hickey et al on Dec. 9, 1975; and 3,964,890 issued to J. W. Bonn on June 22, 1976.